


Out of Ashes

by TwilightKnight17



Series: Shuake Confidant Week 2018 [6]
Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Demons, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, god I wasn't sure I could get more indulgent than vampires but here we are, the rating is gonna go up eventually
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-03
Updated: 2018-11-03
Packaged: 2019-08-16 21:10:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16502768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwilightKnight17/pseuds/TwilightKnight17
Summary: Goro Akechi is pretty sure that he isn’t dead. Somehow, he’s in Hell anyway. And there's a lot more to this world of demons and souls than meets the eye.[Demon AU]





	Out of Ashes

**Author's Note:**

> November 3rd, Day Six: **Welcome** /Initiation/Cheating

When Goro woke up, he noticed three things immediately. It was hot, he had a terrible, pounding headache, and there were two voices arguing somewhere above him. The next thing that he realized was that he was lying on the floor, and neither of the voices had noticed he was awake yet, because their conversation continued uninterrupted. So he stayed quiet and listened, wondering what was going on.

“But I don’t deal with kids,” the first voice said, low and mildly unhappy. “I don’t know what to do with him. And isn’t it usually an infant?”

“Yes.” The second voice was deeper, an ominous, authoritative sound. “Regardless of your inexperience, I do not have time to deal with someone of his age.”

“Too old?”

“Correct. I have already transferred the bond to you. He is your responsibility, for as long as he is here.”

“Well, I guess we’re not getting anything close to ‘the souls of the innocent’ from a...he looks twelve. A twelve-year-old.”

“I’m seventeen,” Goro muttered before he could stop himself. He could feel their gazes snap to him, and then someone was kneeling beside him. He opened his eyes and looked up as best he could, seeing a young man that didn’t look any older than him, with messy black hair and reddish-grey eyes, pale skin and… curled horns, and black-feathered wings. He felt like his mind wasn’t keeping up with his eyes, and all he could do was gape helplessly upwards. Finally he found the willpower to string together a few words, and asked, “Did I die?”

“Technically not.” The young man helped him to his feet, tossing a glance over his shoulder towards the other person that Goro couldn’t see. “Fine, I’ll handle it,” he said, and then he was guiding Goro out a door and into a long hallway.

Goro blinked around at the red-tinted stone, the almost-oppressive heat, the long-nailed hand wrapped around his wrist. “But, but this is Hell, isn’t it?” he asked nervously. He could only assume, anyway, based on the horns and wings. “How am I not dead?”

The hand against his lower back twitched slightly, but the person — demon? — kept guiding him forward. “It is, but I would think of it as more of another world. So you can be here without being dead.”

There was a dull panic starting to fill Goro’s gut, and even though the hands on him were careful and not forceful, it was taking everything he had not to pull away. “If this is about all the food I stole over the years, I was starving. I—” This was a demon; they tortured people, didn’t they?

“Take a breath,” the demon said, and for some reason he sounded as uncertain as Goro felt. “My name is Akira Kurusu. You’re not here because you did anything wrong. Let me get you home, and I’ll explain as best I can.”

 _Home?_ Goro wasn’t sure where this demon, Akira, was taking him, but he didn’t really have a choice but to follow.

This...wasn’t terrible, he supposed. He’d been convinced for years that he could die any day. This wasn’t any different, even if he’d never considered that the way it would finally happen would involve being ‘handled’ by a demon.

At least he hadn’t starved.

***

Akira got the young man back to his home, guiding him to take a seat on the worn couch. He didn’t take care of humans. Babies were not his thing, much less someone that was fully aware of what was going on around him. Explaining all of this was going to be a huge pain. But refusing a direct order from Lord Yaldabaoth wasn’t a good idea, so for now, he was stuck with him for at least a few days.

“The simple explanation is that your father made a deal. His firstborn son in exchange for power,” Akira began, sinking into a chair across from him. “Usually it’s a baby and not a twelve-year-old, but apparently he didn’t know you existed until yesterday. Most people who offer their firstborn haven’t actually had the kid yet, but the rules aren’t picky about age. You’re his firstborn, so the deal took effect once he was aware of you and here you are. And I don’t think anyone here knows what to do with someone your age, so the big boss handed you off to me. Honestly, I don’t know why.”

Wide eyes met Akira’s, filled with shock and despair. “I… I spent years trying to figure out who my father was. I finally, finally found him, and he _traded me to a demon?_ ” He sounded broken, and he didn’t even object to being called twelve.

Akira rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. Charm meant nothing to someone in so much distress. “Just...make yourself comfortable. You’re pretty, so there may be other demons that want you, but you’re under my care for now.”

“W-What?” He looked even more wary now, and Akira internally smacked himself. “W-What does that mean, people will want me?”

Akira shrugged as carelessly as he could. “I’m sure there are other demons that would jump at the chance to take you off my hands. Demons like pretty things. Shiny gems, precious metals, adorable kids. Not to mention incubi or succubae that would be willing to wait for you to get a little older. Like I said, you’re pretty. But you’re under my protection right now, so you don’t need to worry about it. I should have just kept my mouth shut.” He tried a reassuring smile. “What’s your name?”

“I… I’m Goro Akechi.”

“All right, then, Goro Akechi. Is there anything I can do to make this easier?” It would make perfect sense for him to be afraid, but any tiny thing that could help, Akira was willing to do. It would only be a few days, anyway.

Goro sank further into the couch, still watching Akira warily. “I suppose you can’t just let me go?” he asked.

“Unfortunately, no,” Akira replied.

The lack of reaction he got for that response clearly showed that Goro had already known the answer. His eyes darted around the relatively normal-looking room, then back to the demon. “You...won’t hurt me?”

Ouch. This was why it was so much easier to deal with babies. They didn’t have the slightest clue what was happening, and they couldn’t ask awkward questions. Akira didn’t hesitate, knowing a white lie was better than the truth. “No, I won’t. Like I said, you haven’t done anything wrong. Nothing that would earn you any kind of punishment.” He got up, waving Goro to follow him. “Come on. I have a spare room you can stay in for now.”

It wasn’t a lie. Not really. Akira wasn’t going to hurt him; being pointlessly cruel to someone that was just confused and anxious wasn’t his modus operandi in the slightest. But, well...souls given up to demons didn’t have a lot of endings. They were bound to a certain demon, usually the one that made the deal, and if they showed signs of developing demonic traits, they were raised as demons. If not, well… Souls drowned in innocence were a rare treat in this realm, and since Akira usually refused to deal with kids, he didn’t usually have the pleasure. Yaldabaoth had pawned Goro off on Akira, though, and the bond was set. Goro was Akira’s to do with as he pleased. And there was no way someone of that age would start turning into a demon. Waiting a week was tradition, that was all.

So no, Akira wouldn’t hurt him. He’d wait until he was asleep before eating his soul. It would be gentle. He wouldn’t feel any pain.

It was the least he could do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, Akira. You know it won’t be that easy. And Shido is a dick in every canon.
> 
> Yes, at its very core, this is the same basic premise as the vampire thing, but just bear with me because I’m having fun. I love demons just as much as vampires. And there is some _spicy_ stuff in my notes doc for this one, so when I get around to continuing, it should be entertaining. :P
> 
> I also love shoving Goro into uncomfortable situations, so that, too. XD
> 
> ~~More shoutouts to the crew. You know it’s a good idea when you yell about it for multiple days in a row. XD~~


End file.
